00;00;00;03 - 00;00;19;27 Speaker 1 Hello and welcome to another Accounting for California podcast from the California Board of Accountancy. My name is David Hemphill. I'm an information and planning analyst here at the CBA, and I'm excited to be joined by. This is the first time ever we have two guests on the podcast today. So let me introduce you to Suzanne Garcia. Hi, Suzanne. 00;00;20;00 - 00;00;26;03 Speaker 1 Hello, David. And you are you are a manager here and you want to give what is your official title? I've asked you this before. 00;00;26;04 - 00;00;42;29 Speaker 2 Yes, I am actually the project specialist. So, yes, I've been doing a lot of exciting things for the board, been doing a lot of work on our business modernization project. And I'm looking forward to, you know, doing some more enhancements for law enforcement and for our renewals in the coming months. 00;00;43;02 - 00;00;55;03 Speaker 1 Excellent. I know you had a lot to do with getting KBA connect up and running, so that's why you're here. And then we have Sarah Benedict, who's our license renewal and Continuing Competency Unit manager. Hello again, Sara. 00;00;55;05 - 00;00;55;22 Speaker 3 Good morning. 00;00;55;28 - 00;01;17;08 Speaker 1 You actually joined me earlier this year for one of the very first podcast episodes when we discussed renewals. And a lot has changed in how we go about renewing California CPA licenses. Now here in 2022 with the exciting launch of KBA Connect. First of all, Suzanne, can you tell us everything licenses can do with this new online renewal system? 00;01;17;13 - 00;01;18;01 Speaker 1 Sure. 00;01;18;02 - 00;01;46;06 Speaker 2 Of course, you know, the obvious thing that they can do is renew online, which is something that we haven't had for a long time. It's been paper renewals, so we were excited to be able to launch an online RENEAU application and to add to that, they can track CTE throughout the course of their renewal period. So even if they're not up for renewal yet, they can still go on to their KBIA Connect account and log their courses as they take them sort of a tracker on for themselves. 00;01;46;20 - 00;01;50;26 Speaker 1 So a little bit at a time instead of not necessarily waiting, saving it all till the end. 00;01;50;26 - 00;02;04;27 Speaker 2 Right. Right. And then another features. They can change their address online. They used to have to just send a paper request and fill out a form. So now it's just as easy as one, two, three. You just logging in your account, changing your address, and that's it. 00;02;05;06 - 00;02;05;28 Speaker 1 Convenient. 00;02;05;29 - 00;02;20;17 Speaker 2 And then a lot of requests that we used to get was a receipt for their CPA application fees. And this is something else that they can print from their CBA account as well. So they don't have to contact us and and request one. They can do that from their own account. 00;02;20;19 - 00;02;28;19 Speaker 1 Okay. That's a good things. With all this available to me now, should I wait until my license expiration date to sign up for a CBA connect account? 00;02;28;27 - 00;02;48;01 Speaker 3 No, absolutely not. You should sign up today. Like Suzanne mentioned, you can use it to track your CV for the entire two year period. So it's always great to get a head start on that. We also don't recommend waiting until last minute in case there's some kind of technical issue and you need staff help to get signed up if you sign up early. 00;02;48;07 - 00;02;53;12 Speaker 3 That gives us time to help walk you through the process and make sure that you're all good to go when it comes time for renewal. 00;02;53;20 - 00;03;02;14 Speaker 1 All right. You talked me into it. I'm ready to go sign up soon as this podcast is over. So tell me, where exactly do I go to set up my CBA connect account? 00;03;02;26 - 00;03;16;24 Speaker 3 Right now there's a link on the home page of the CBA website, but you can also visit connect dot, CBA, dot, S.A. Gov. And the website is going to be printed on the renewal notices that are going out to CPAs. 00;03;17;08 - 00;03;24;14 Speaker 1 Okay. So at this point, are licensees still being mailed reminders or how how exactly are they going to get that? 00;03;24;28 - 00;03;50;28 Speaker 3 They are being mailed reminders, but they're not receiving the paper application that they used to receive. So what they will get approximately 90 days before expiration is a letter in the mail reminding them that it's their renewal period and that they are eligible to renew. And it will give the web address for the next Web site so that if they're not signed up already, they can either go there and get signed up, or if they are signed up, they can log in and start their renewal process. 00;03;50;29 - 00;04;01;10 Speaker 1 Time to do all that. Okay, good. We'll discuss that more later after I'm done with that whole process and I've submitted my application, what am I going to see? How will I know that you guys got it and all that stuff? 00;04;01;18 - 00;04;20;15 Speaker 3 Well, every CPA has an individual dashboard, so when they log in to connect, they'll be taken to their dashboard. And on the dashboard they can see the status of their renewal licenses will receive an email letting them know that their payment was received, and they will also receive an email letting them know that their renewal was submitted and received at the CPA. 00;04;20;26 - 00;04;42;01 Speaker 3 If everything is done correctly, the C requirements are all met. They've checked all the boxes and everything's good. They will get approved relatively quickly. I think it's usually within a couple of hours, if not immediately. Okay. If for some reason it needs staff approval, it will go to a CPA staff to review and licensees will get a notification that it's under review. 00;04;42;14 - 00;04;45;22 Speaker 3 And I think it shows up on the dashboard is in review, right? 00;04;45;22 - 00;04;56;21 Speaker 2 That's correct. So that's the great thing about CBA can act as even though their license is not approved yet, they can still track the status of where their application is at in the review process. 00;04;57;02 - 00;05;17;08 Speaker 1 All right. Well, I wanted to share some testimonials because we have a survey. When you do complete your renewal process, you get a little survey and we like to know how the process was for you. So here's what a few people had to say. Someone said the process was very easy. I renewed inactive for now, but look forward to using CCB Connect to record my CEO over the next two years. 00;05;17;08 - 00;05;39;15 Speaker 1 Okay, good. Your CBA Connect facility was a pleasant, efficient experience. Thank you for updating your process. All right. You're welcome. And one more. Someone said that was awesome. So glad not to have to fill out the paper forms this go around. Nice job. So there we go. Making progress. Let's get into some of the specifics now about how to renew your license using CBA Connect. 00;05;39;15 - 00;05;44;17 Speaker 1 So I assume there's a way to document what we've been talking about it document all this continuing education. 00;05;44;26 - 00;06;06;27 Speaker 2 Right, so users can enter their see information and to connect at any time. It doesn't need to be at renewal. In fact, you know, Sarah mentioned we recommend licenses and her courses as they take them to make the renewal process easier when the time comes and any see that's entered into CBA, Connect will automatically be used for the next renewal cycle. 00;06;07;06 - 00;06;25;01 Speaker 3 After she is entered, there's a button that says summary and if licensee's click on that button, they'll get a table that gives them the breakdown of their continuing education. So it will tell you how many technical hours you have, how many ethics hours you have, and it will let you know kind of where you stand with the your requirements. 00;06;25;06 - 00;06;30;12 Speaker 1 Got it. So if I didn't get enough technical hours, it would tell me that I'm like, oh, I need six more hours. 00;06;30;12 - 00;06;42;05 Speaker 3 And it won't tell you that you're short necessarily. You have to know the requirement yourself, but it will tell you how many hours you have in each category. And it's broken down by first year and second year. You can see if you've met the yearly requirements as well. 00;06;42;06 - 00;06;43;06 Speaker 1 And that's important to. 00;06;43;09 - 00;07;08;04 Speaker 2 Also I just want to point out the CBA is working on an Excel template for tracking C that we hope to get up and running very soon. And when that's ready, licensees can download the Excel file from the CBA website and use it to track their c e when it comes time for renewal, they can upload that Excel sheet into CBA Connect and it will automatically include that C in the renewal application. 00;07;08;11 - 00;07;15;27 Speaker 2 They can still enter courses manually also and courses can be edited or deleted at any time before the renewal is submitted. 00;07;16;06 - 00;07;20;29 Speaker 1 Well, that sounds like that'll be a good a good feature kind of get everything just uploaded all at once. Even better. 00;07;21;03 - 00;07;21;24 Speaker 2 Absolutely. 00;07;21;24 - 00;07;32;06 Speaker 1 Great. All right. One feature that's getting some attention is the ability to receive emails or text messages with helpful reminders throughout the license period. Can you explain that to us a little more, Susan? 00;07;32;11 - 00;07;54;12 Speaker 2 Sarah mentioned, you know, they're still getting a paper renewal reminder in the mail. But one good thing about CBA Connect is they will also get email and text message if they choose text message reminders when they're due. So they'll get a reminder 60 days before renewal, 30 days and then 15 days before, and also actually the day off. 00;07;55;19 - 00;07;56;16 Speaker 2 And then, of course. 00;07;56;28 - 00;07;57;23 Speaker 1 Last chance. 00;07;58;09 - 00;08;20;27 Speaker 2 Right. And then, of course, you know, we know everybody's lives are busy and some people may forget and we'll send them a late reminder. So if they if they haven't renewed by their due date, they'll get a delinquency reminder and those come in threes as well. So they'll get 115 days after 30 days after, and then 45 days after. 00;08;21;01 - 00;08;31;13 Speaker 1 Very good. Well, hey, everybody gets text these days. So that's that's kind of a cool way to remind everyone. So will I notice anything different in my account when I am able to officially renew? 00;08;31;21 - 00;08;37;03 Speaker 3 Yes. There will be a renew button that pops up on your dashboard. Ooh, I know. It's very exciting. 00;08;37;05 - 00;08;38;21 Speaker 1 Wow. That's. That'll be a big day. 00;08;39;12 - 00;08;44;04 Speaker 3 It will appear. It will appear approximately 90 days before expiration. 00;08;44;11 - 00;08;46;08 Speaker 1 They're like confetti that goes down. 00;08;46;08 - 00;08;47;08 Speaker 3 Not yet. You know. 00;08;47;08 - 00;08;51;05 Speaker 1 Like when I win a week in my fantasy baseball league, it says congrats and all that. 00;08;51;05 - 00;08;54;10 Speaker 3 I've definitely requested it, but since it is on the priority. 00;08;54;10 - 00;08;55;10 Speaker 1 List, shall we get that. 00;08;55;18 - 00;08;56;01 Speaker 2 List? 00;08;56;12 - 00;09;02;15 Speaker 1 Get that in there, Suzanne, please. I need confetti. All right. So 90 days before boom renew button and then. Yes, get it done. 00;09;02;21 - 00;09;17;05 Speaker 3 Another thing worth noting is that you don't have to finish your renewal all in one sitting. So if you start the renewal process and you get distracted or you realize that you don't have all the information you need, you can stop and come back to it and you can pick up where you left off handy. 00;09;17;05 - 00;09;19;08 Speaker 1 There's a save button somewhere. Does that autosave. 00;09;19;11 - 00;09;27;29 Speaker 2 Actually, as a licensee goes through the application, there's buttons at the bottom that say save. So as long as they click that button, then their progress should be saved. 00;09;28;04 - 00;09;35;01 Speaker 1 Excellent. Sarah, what happens if my license is expiring in the next few months? But I haven't signed up for Kinect yet. 00;09;35;04 - 00;09;37;05 Speaker 3 You should sign up immediately, right? 00;09;37;18 - 00;09;38;10 Speaker 1 I told you I'm going. 00;09;38;12 - 00;09;56;18 Speaker 3 Yeah. As I mentioned earlier, we're not sending the paper applications in the mail anymore, so it's important that licensees get their CBA connect up and running prior to renewal. You can sign up any time, but like I said, you should sign up as early as you can in case there's any kind of technical difficulties or you're not sure how to work the system. 00;09;56;18 - 00;10;01;23 Speaker 3 CBA staff are always here to help and the earlier you get started, the better off you'll be. 00;10;02;05 - 00;10;19;00 Speaker 1 That is good advice. So that way you can kind of fiddle around with it, look around before the time comes where you really have to do it. There are no rules. Unit is always here to to walk you through any questions you may have. So that's good. Okay, so I got those texts. I forgot. You're right. I was on vacation and I. 00;10;19;06 - 00;10;24;16 Speaker 1 My license is delinquent. Now that it's expired, can I still use Kinect? What happens? 00;10;24;17 - 00;10;30;20 Speaker 3 Yes, you can use Kinect up until you're 20 months late, which is kind of weird. I know. 00;10;31;07 - 00;10;31;23 Speaker 1 It wasn't that. 00;10;31;23 - 00;10;51;18 Speaker 3 Long. Yeah. What happens around the 21st month is you start getting into your next renewal cycle. And so at that point you actually have to contact the CBA and get a paper application and there's a different process. But if you're only late a couple weeks, a couple of months, maybe even a year, you can still use Kinect just like anybody else. 00;10;51;20 - 00;11;01;18 Speaker 1 Okay, good to know. So CBA Kinect is currently set up for individual CPA licenses, but will it expand to accounting firms or partnership renewals in the future? 00;11;01;24 - 00;11;12;28 Speaker 2 Yes, we hope to build that in the future. But for now, they can pay online through the CBA website and email their application to renewal app at CBA that see that job. 00;11;13;06 - 00;11;14;17 Speaker 1 So one of the things you're working on. 00;11;14;18 - 00;11;15;06 Speaker 2 That's right. 00;11;15;06 - 00;11;17;15 Speaker 1 Business modernization. I like it. Very good. 00;11;17;16 - 00;11;37;11 Speaker 2 One more note I want to mentioned about, you know, who can you CBA connect and who can't at this time, anybody that has retired status or is applying for a retired status and then anybody that has military status at this time is not able to use CBA connected, but they can renew still and they would just have to contact in the renewal unit. 00;11;37;16 - 00;11;44;19 Speaker 2 This is a feature that we will be working on in the next phase of business modernization, so please stay tuned for that. 00;11;44;19 - 00;11;48;04 Speaker 1 So do those individuals, will they actually receive a paper application? 00;11;48;04 - 00;11;55;14 Speaker 3 Then licenses and retired status will still receive the paper application in the mail and they will still need to mail that back to the CBA in order to renew. 00;11;55;27 - 00;12;08;13 Speaker 1 So what's the best way to stay connected for future upgrades and things like this? Like maybe that the template for tracking the see when that gets finished. What's a good way to keep up with announcements for a CBA connect or other CBA services. 00;12;08;20 - 00;12;36;27 Speaker 2 Will definitely follow us on social media any time we have exciting announcements with CBA Connect, I'll definitely be announced there. We'll also be publishing some articles in our update publication, so make sure that you're receiving that to receive our exciting news on features that are added. And then of course, just going to our CBA website, you know, we always post information on our website any time we have something new that's going to benefit all of our licensees and our stakeholders. 00;12;37;05 - 00;12;53;26 Speaker 1 Yes, all good places to get information. Definitely go on social media. You can find us at CBA News, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn and our YouTube channel, too. You can watch some of our fund meetings and the CBA website getting a little bit of a makeover too. So that'll be a little fresher in the weeks to come and go. 00;12;53;27 - 00;12;59;13 Speaker 1 Stay involved. Okay. So do we think is there anything else people need to know about CBA Connect? 00;12;59;25 - 00;13;18;04 Speaker 3 If there is a renewal deficiency, licenses will be contacted by CBA staff through CBA Connect. And this is where text messages really come in handy because if you are signed up for text messages, you'll get an immediate message letting you know that there is something to connect that need your attention and you can pop in there and fix it real quick. 00;13;18;11 - 00;13;23;09 Speaker 3 And then it will go back to CBA staff review and it will expedite the processing of your renewal application. 00;13;23;11 - 00;13;48;09 Speaker 1 Perfect, because you may not be checking your CBA connect account. Correct? Get those text notifications going. So that way you always know if we need to get a hold of you that way. Well, I really like where this is going. I'm doing everything online, getting notified more quickly. So I think this is all a very good thing. So CBA Connect well thank you so much for listening to this episode of the Accounting for California Podcast. 00;13;48;09 - 00;13;50;29 Speaker 1 Thank you, Suzanne and Sarah for joining me this afternoon. 00;13;50;29 - 00;13;51;25 Speaker 3 Thank you for having us. 00;13;51;25 - 00;13;52;27 Speaker 2 Thank you. Pleasure. 00;13;52;29 - 00;13;58;10 Speaker 1 Once again, my name is David Hemphill, and we will talk to you next time on the Accounting for California podcast.